Gallery: Piñatas by Roberto Benavidez

South Texan fine artist Roberto Benavidez gives wing to the craft of papier mâché. Inspired by 16th-century paintings and multicultural art, he creates stunning piñatas of birds and other creatures. But you wouldn’t want to break open these sculptures: Benavidez painstakingly decorates them with layer upon layer of hand-cut crepe paper, referencing photos of specific birds as he works, and enhancing each bird’s feathers and coloring with fanciful embellishments like serrated fringe or metallic papers. “As an artist, I take inspiration from the natural world,” he says. “Nature is a precious resource.” 

All photos © Roberto Benavidez